Scrabble
by EarlyArcher
Summary: After the events of Skyfall, MI6 is returning to normal. With new terrorist attacks happening around the world, the office is kept busy. Yet he isnt too busy to notice her. Q/OC
1. Chapter 1

Her hand groped the nightstand for the alarm clock, blaring loudly. She attempted to press the snooze button, but accidentally nicked the off button instead and knocked her her glasses off as well. With a quick glance at the time and a groan, Amelia forced herself out of bed. The sound of Gustav Holst's Jupiter rang through the apartment in an attempt to wake herself up. As the rain started to fall faster, she started to move faster as well. The London Underground would be busier than normal because of the rain, and if she wanted to get to work on time, she would have to leave early to beat the masses. With a black pencil skirt, white blouse, blue cardigan, and a black coat, Amelia rushed out the flat and down the stairs of her building hoping to get to work on time.

* * *

As she shambled into the historic underground of her new place of work, her long, curly brown hair was almost completely dry. Her black oxfords led the way towards the coat rack closest to her desk, allowing her to discard her coat.

"Good morning Amelia," a voice said behind her.

"George, good morning," she smiled, turning towards her desk.

"So how bad was the tube?" He questioned, following her.

"Horrid. Swarms of people who are in nasty moods from the rain," she answered.

She moved quickly to stow he purse in her desk and turn around to face the man she was conversing with. George was a man of average height, with a bit of a gut. His black hair looked to be thinning, but he still held a smile on his face.

"I assume a nice hot early grey would put you in a cheery mood," he hinted, nudging her with his elbow.

"Actually yes, I would love nothing more. I think that'll be one thing that salvages my morning," Amelia grinned.

George was basically my mentor, the only father figure in my life. He knew this and always tried to help when he could.

"So how is Julie?" Amelia asked curiously.

"Her tenth birthday is coming up. All she talks about is either wanting a pony or a cell phone," he laughed, leading the way towards the closest kitchenette.

"I say get her involved with tech at a young age. It's a magnificent field to be in," she added.

As the neared towards the kitchenette her steps started to slow down. Grinning, George pulled her to his stride.

"It's just Q," he whispered to her, flashing her a suggestive smile.

"Shut up George," she murmured.

George stood off to the side and watched as she attempted to be graceful.

"Good morning Amelia," Q greeted.

"Good Morning Q," she replied quietly, keeping her eyes to her task at hand.

The kettle boiled as Amelia searched the cupboards for an Earl Grey tea bag. After a brief search, she came up empty handed and left to settle with something else.

"I think I took the last Earl Grey. Sorry," Q apologized, startling her.

"That's alright. I'll just have this today," Amelia responded, her mood becoming a bit somber.

Without even looking at the tea bag, she opened the pouch and slipped it into a mug. As if on cue, the shrill siren of the kettle went off in the kitchenette. Q moved towards the kettle and poured his cup, quickly dashing away as soon as he set the kettle down.

"We'll that was adorable," George smirked as he sauntered into the kitchenette.

"That was not adorable, it was a bit awkward," she cantered, pouring the boiling water into the mug I front of her.

"So, what are you drinking?" He inquired.

"Uh, peppermint. At least the morning won't be too bad," Amelia thought out loud.

"Right we'll, we should hurry up. We wouldn't want the Quatermaster disappointed with us for being tardy," he quipped.

All Amelia could do is send him a dirty look as they hurried back to the Quatermaster Branch office.

* * *

The two spent the rest of the work day at their respective desks busy with the work set out for them. As the workday came to an end Amelia's workload hadn't let up.

"Are you planning on leaving anytime soon?" George inquired.

He was ready to go with his coat and hat already on and briefcase in hand.

"No, I still have quite a bit of code to go through. Hopefully when I'm done the rush hour will be over the traffic on the tube will be lighter," Amelia replied, forcing a smile.

"Chin up, you won't be alone and tomorrow is Saturday," he told her in hopes of a real smile finding its way to her face.

"I suppose your right. I'll see you on Monday then. Have a good weekend," she responded, focusing back on the screen in front of her.

"You too," he said, briskly walking towards the hall way to leave the underground quarters of MI6.

From the front of the room that Amelia was in sat another, running over the same lines of code over and over only to be frustrated with the results. In an attempt to clear his mind, Q left the findings and strode out for a quick walk. Before he was completely clear of the desk groupings he had noticed a familiar coat still on the rack next to his; causing the corners of his mouth to curve into a smile.

She broke her attention away from her monitor and closed her eyes. Amelia let out a sigh and ran a hand through her curls. As she was about to return to her tedious work she noticed a new mug on her desk with a note underneath it.

_Sorry again that I took the last one this morning. - Q_

After reading the note she couldn't help but smile, taking the hot cup of Early Grey into her hands. Unknown to her, Q had see the smile and couldn't help but smile himself.

* * *

thank you for reading! Reviews would be lovely.


	2. Chapter 2

"Happy Monday!" Amelia's voice rang as she shrugged her jacket off.

"How are you so cheery on a Monday?" George inquired, taking a sip out of the mug in his hand.

"I finished debugging the software and user interface on 007's new phone on Friday. Finally done with that and now onto something new," The young woman grinned.

"Has Q looked over the finished software yet?" He asked, sitting on her desk while scratching his left bicep

"Not yet. I need to put it on a flash drive and have him make sure it's what he wants," Amelia answered.

She sat down at her desk and attempted to swat George off of it. Her hand curved around the handle of the top drawer in her desk. With a tug the sound of metal screeched slightly as the drawer opened. Without warning, George immediately stood up and walked away, causing Amelia to snap her head up from the drawer in confusion.

"Miss Smith?" An authoritative voiced questioned.

"Sir?" She replied, surprised at whom had come to see her.

"Q told me you were working on Bond's new phone. I want a report on it before noon," He requested.

"Yes sir," she told the man.

He turned and walked out of Q Branch, while Amelia let out the breath she was holding. George, who had been watching from his desk, decided that it was safe to return.

"What did M want?" Her friend implored.

"He wants a report of the phone I've been working on. What if he isn't pleased with it? What if he thinks its shit?" She wondered out loud, starting to worry.

"He's the new M. He's probably just curious. Wants to know the specs before its broken in the field," he jabbed, try to pry a smile out of her.

"Your right. I'll just pass off the software to Q and then I'll start typing up the report. And then everything will be fine," she sighed.

"Good luck," George grinned, ruffling her hair before he returned to his desk.

The young woman slipped the flash drive into the USB port and started to transfer the files. Minutes later she ejected the small device, gripping it tightly as should stood up. Her feet started moving on their own accord to the front of the room, not stopping until the destination had been reached.

"I have the finished software," Amelia announced to the man sitting at the desk in the front.

"Oh, uh, thank you. I'll look this over and send you the specs of the next project later today," Q informed her, slightly startled from her sudden appearance.

Amelia moved to set the flash drive on his desk, only to have Q's hand meet hers. His hand held hers for a brief moment, the two not coordinating on how to hand over the drive. After a second of confusion she released the drive into his hand and left quickly. She attempted to hide the blush creeping up by keeping her head lowered as she quickly navigated back to her desk. George had managed to watch the interaction, taking mental notes to tease the girl about it later. As time ticked on, Amelia's fingers worked fervently on the important document for her highest superior, which was due within a few hours. With the finished report in hand, she quickly worked the maze of MI6 to M's office, nervous about pleasing the boss. Amelia's hand rapped softly on the door to M's waiting room while the other gripped the door handle. Pushing the door open, she slipped in gracefully, forgetting the door now behind her.

"Hello Eve," Amelia greeted the secretary.

"Amy! What brings you to this side today?" Eve inquired.

"M asked me to type this report for him," the tech answered, handing the document to Eve.

"He's in a meeting at the moment, but I will make sure he receives this the moment that its over," Eve smiled, placing the document on her desk.

"Thank you," Amelia smiled.

As she turned to walk out of the room she hit a firm body, almost falling to the ground if it weren't for a pair of arms holding her up.

"So that's your trick for getting women to fall for you Bond," Eve taunted the man.

Right then it clicked. This is Bond, James Bond. 007. Amelia's mind started to remember how to act around this man, this agent. All the protocol she was taught 3 years ago during her training for the agency was slowly trickling to the forefront of her memory.

"I'm sorry I should have been looking where I was going," Amelia apologized, finally getting a good look at the man.

"Really? I believe it's my fault here, you didn't know I was behind you. I could possibly make it up to you over a drink later?" He smirked.

"I'm actually rather busy. I'm sorry Mr. Bond," Amelia sputtered while stepping out of his hold.

Quickly Amelia fled the room and hurried back to Q Branch. As she entered the office she made her way towards George. His eyes darted up from the paper in his hand when the young woman was leaning on his desk.

"I finally met him. Bond. He almost knocked me to the ground, literally, and then asked me out for a drink!" She disclosed, unaware of the presence behind her.

"And?" George inquired, rubbing his arm.

"I told him I was busy," Amelia informed him.

"We'll I hope you weren't hurt. This is extraordinarily well done. Lets hope 007 keeps it for more than one mission," Q smirked, startling her in the process.

The young woman spun around to find herself face to face with her boss. His disheveled hair grazed the top of his oversized glasses while his eyes peered through the spectacles, taking in her reaction. Q's hand held out the small flash drive she had given him earlier.

"Thank you," she replied quietly while he placed the object in her open hand.

He simply nodded and took off out the office. Amelia turned back to face her friend, a smile growing on her face.

"Congratulations," George grinned, hoping she'd understand the double meaning.

"Well, I'm uh, I'm going back to my desk then," she replied.

"Interested in going to Cafe Mormont for lunch, escape above ground for a bit?" Her friend asked.

"Yes, I think some fresh air might be what I need after this eventful morning," Amelia answered.

"It's not everyday you meet _the_ James Bond and have the man you fancy be so smitten with your work," George laughed.

"Excuse me? For that comment you are paying for lunch," Amelia told him, then rushing back to her desk for her purse and quickly dropping the flash drive back into the drawer.

"I thought I would have to pay for that comment, I didn't think I would literally have to pay though," he smirked as the two worked their way through the corridors.

"Why have you become so cheeky lately?" Amelia questioned as they entered the public street above MI6.

"I guess I'm able to see something that you aren't able to see," the man smirked, scratching his arm.

"Perhaps I need new glasses then if I can't see it," she joked.

"Or maybe try contacts. Let him have a better view of your baby blues," George winked.

Amelia stopped right outside their destination, forcing him to stop as well. When he turned to face her, she had placed her hands on her hips ready to accuse him of playing with her love life.

"I know what you're going to say, so don't. Lets just have a nice lunch in the outside world before we return to being closed off for a few more hours today?" He quickly proposed.

"Alright. But if you say anything about my love life, I'm ratting you out to Raquel!" She exclaimed.

"Now don't you get me in trouble with my wife! I won't say anything; during lunch that is," he retorted, muttering the last bit.

"Deal," Amelia grinned, turning into to the Cafe Mormont.

* * *

As the two were making there way back towards Q Branch, they were stopped by a familiar face.

"Amy, they're about to go over 007's phone. You might want to be there," she winked.

"Of course, let me just put my purse away and I'll be right there," Amelia confirmed.

As the two quickly made their way back, George kept glancing at Amelia.

"So why does she get to play with your love life and I don't?" He curiously asked her, following her to her desk.

"No one is playing with my love life. You and her need to stop. It's none of your business who I fancy," Amelia contended.

"We just care, that's all," her friend replied, rubbing his arm anxiously.

"Fine. I'm going to go. I will see you later," she nodded, leaving Q Branch and once again navigating the tunnels.

Ten minutes later Amelia had found the room where the presentation was just taking place. Amelia swiftly sidled into the room and stood next to Eve while Q started explaining the functions of the new gadget to him. After the demonstration, Amelia turned to leave, only to have a voice bring her into a conversation.

"Hello again," Bond smirked.

"Oh, hello," Amelia replied, feeling a little uncomfortable about the attention she was receiving.

"I don't think we've been introduced," He said, trying to work his charm.

"Amelia Smith. I work in the Q Branch. Coding and tech things," she informed him.

"So if I have any problems with he phone I can come to you?" He inquired.

"No, that would be Q," Amelia explained, trying to find a way out of the conversation.

"Yes, wouldn't want you distracting her while she's busy, now would we?" Q interjected, smiling at his own response.

"It was a pleasure meeting you again Mr. Bond but I really need to return to Q Branch and get started on my work," Amelia told the man.

"The pleasure was all mine," Bond smirked.

Amelia took this moment to turn and quickly leave the room. As the door clicked behind her she took off rather quickly back towards the safety of her desk away from the fabled agent.

Sitting down at her desk she looked down at a scrap of paper sticking out from under her keyboard. Pulling it out a little more she recognized it as the note Q had left her friday evening. Amelia smiled to herself and pushed it back into its temporary location. The young woman looked up from her keyboard to see Q finally returning to the office with his scrabble Q mug in hand. Remembering her excuse to 007, her hands quickly got to work. As she checked her email she hadn't found her new task waiting for her. Knowing that Q would have already sent it, she simply stared at her screen; puzzled by the situation. After a moment, Amelia got up from her desk to inquire about her new task.

"Q, I don't want to be a bother, but I still need you to send me the information about my new task," she informed him.

"I sent it to you almost two hours ago," he replied, not looking up from his screen.

"I just checked my messages and I haven't received anything from you," Amelia explained.

Q tore his eyes from the screen and looked at Amelia, a confused look upon his face. Surprising her, he stood up and made his way towards the back of the room to her desk. He quickly set to work checking her email, and every possible reason why she had not received it yet.

"What's this," he muttered to himself as he furiously typed away on her keyboard.

"What's what?" Amelia anxiously inquired.

"It appears some has remotely been on here. It looks like," he explained, stopping when the realization hit him.

"It looks like what?" She asked, noticing him push the scrap of paper sticking out from under the keyboard back into it's place.

"Someone has hacked into your computer. The message has been deleted. I need you to go through and tell me everything that was on here. It's imperative that I know," he demanded, standing up and allowing her her desk back.

"When I'm finished with something I store it on the servers, really the only thing on here that would be of importance is the message you sent and the report I typed up for M about the phone," Amelia answered.

"Did you clear the software off the flash drive?" He inquired.

"No, not yet. It's right he's though," she informed him, opening up the drawer and reaching inside for the object.

"Clear the drive and I'll resend you the information," Q instructed and started to walk away.

As Amelia felt inside the drawer for the flash drive she had used earlier her stomach dropped and her hand started to shake.

"Q, it's gone," Amelia called out, her voce shaking.

"Bugger," Q muttered.

* * *

Thank you for reading. I've loved all my reviews, they keep me wanting to write. I do have classes coming to a close, but I will be updating as much as I possibly can.


	3. Chapter 3

For the past half hour Q had been on Amelia's computer, tracking down the coordinates of the computer that hacked hers. Amelia hovered behind while he worked, ready to help.

"I don't understand how none of the alarms went off. This just doesn't make any sense," he thought out.

"Well, what if, what if someone inside MI6 shut down the security?" Amelia suggested quietly, leaning over his shoulder so only he could hear.

Q sat motionless for a minute, taking in her closeness. Amelia though, took his actions as him thinking. He turned his head to face her, leaving very little space between.

"I think you might be right," he breathed.

"Q, I need you to explain what the bloody hell was stolen and what it means to us," M barked as he strode in.

Q's head snapped towards M while Amelia stood as straight as she could, keeping her eyes on the ground. Quickly glancing back at Amelia, Q quickly moved across the room to his desk with M on his heels.

"What was stolen was the software of 007's new phone and the report detailing the phone's functions. The culprit also deleted the email containing the pecs for the software for 007's car. We aren't entirely sure if they copied the contents of the email, but it's best to assume they had," Q explained, furiously typing away and bringing up the documents he mentioned.

"I assume we have video?" The man questioned, watching the screens on the wall display the information.

"Erm, No. Whom ever stole the information deleted three hours of footage from every camera feed we have. I have someone going through and collecting the data from the CCTV's surrounding the entrances, but that will be a bit difficult to sift through," the spectacled man answered.

"Of course this bloody happens the week before MI6 moves back to its headquarters. So do we have any eye witnesses then?" M inquired.

"No," Q replied.

"Let me know when you have any information," M barked, turning his heel.

As M left Q Branch he shot Amelia a dirty look before opening the door. The young woman shrunk down in her chair, close to tears. After a successful morning the afternoon fell to shit. Sitting up, her hands began to glide over the keyboard. From the front of the room Q watched her as she tried to regain her composure.

"What's wrong?" George asked, venturing from his desk.

"Where have you been for the past half hour?" She questioned.

" The soup I had for lunch didn't agree with me," he answered sheepishly.

"Someone hacked into my computer, stole information, and stole the flash drive with the phone's software on it!"Amelia explained as she fought the tears.

"Don't cry Amelia, it's not your fault. They could have targeted anyone honey. Chin up," he told her, placing his arm around her shoulders.

"Your right. I think I just need a hot cup of tea and then maybe a little something harder later tonight," Amelia sniffled.

"That's my girl," George grinned, ruffling her hair before he left for his desk.

Amelia shambled out of the room and toward the closest kitchenette. Her body moved as if it were automatic, moving without thought in making her tea then returning to her desk. The young woman opened up her email in hopes of a new assignment from Q to keep her mind wandering. Her mood perked up as she found a new message from the man, but instead of the specifics for a new program she had received instructions to come to his desk. Taking a sip of her tea, she moved from her desk to Q's.

"Good, you received my message," Q quipped, looking over at her.

"What did you want to speak to me about?" She asked him, placing her hands on his desk.

"What I'm about to talk you about is to stay between the two of us. Do you understand?" He asked her in hushed tones.

"Yes?" Amelia replied, unsure of what he was talking about.

"Now, how well do you trust your friend George?" He whispered, causing her to move closer to him.

"What? Are you accusing him of stealing the information?" She cried out.

"Shh. No. I'm merely suggesting that he could be an accomplice," Q disclosed to her.

"Are you serious? That man is like a father to me! He'd never do anything like that! He has a family!" Amelia whispered.

"Well, we can't rule him out. He did know what you were working on and he wouldn't look out of place at your desk," Q explained, hoping she'd start to see the possibility.

"But why would he do this? He'd be jeopardizing his job, his life, and his family!" She argued, hoping that he'd realize how ridiculous this was.

"At the moment everyone in Q branch is a suspect," he replied grimly.

"Even me?" She whispered.

"I'm sorry. I don't think you are, but I know M has you near the top of his list," Q told her, placing his hand on top of hers and giving it a squeeze.

Sighing, the young woman reluctantly slipped her hand out from under his and trudged back to her desk. Minutes later the room shook and the lights flickered. Outside the windows of Q Branch Agents and security were rushing by. Those working inside the office glanced up from the monitors in confusion. Another quake shook the room as Agent 007 ran in and up to Q. The two exchanged words and Q quickly started packing up his essentials.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, all of you need to evacuate," he announced, sending some into a panic.

As the employees of Q Branch fled the room gun fire sounded off nearby. Q rushed out of the room on the heels of Amelia. Bond pushed Amelia against a nearby wall, as a bullet narrowly missed them. Shoving her along, Q was pulled up next to her as they were urged to move faster.

"Do you know where we're supposed to go?" Amelia questioned Q.

"Just follow the crowd and keep moving," 007 answered, not giving the young man a chance to.

"Why do I feel like following the crowd isn't such a good idea right now?" Q quipped gripping the briefcase tightly in his hand.

The roof above them started crumble. Bond grabbed the two and pulled them into a corridor to the right of where they were and down a flight of trio fled deeper underground until the Agent thought it was safe.

"Q?" Bond asked, assuming the young man would now what he was talking about.

"I'm on it," Q replied as he pulled out a laptop from his briefcase.

Amelia sat down next to Q and gripped her arm tightly. Upon feeling a sticky substance she removed her hand and quickly glanced at it. Blood. The pain started to sink in as the shock wore off. She quickly gripped her arm so that the two men wouldn't fuss over her. She knew that what they were doing was more important. Flipping his laptop screen, he turned it into a tablet.

"If we go towards our left and down another flight of stairs we should be closer to an entrance to a tube station," Q announced.

"Right, come on you two," Bond announced, slipping his gun into his jacket.

"Could you hold this for me?" Q asked Amelia, extending the briefcase towards her while keeping the portable computer in his hand.

"Of course," she replied.

Her right hand grasped the handle while her left hand still held her right arm. 007 led the way through the darkened underground with Q and Amelia trailing behind. Q pulled up a maintenance schematic of the underground and located their position.

"Take a right up here. There should be a door on your left," Q instructed, turning off his device.

Amelia extended the brief case to Q, wincing in pain at the simple movement. Without paying much attention to the girl, Q took the briefcase back and slipped his computer into it. The agent cracked the door to the station open and motioned for the two to follow. Amelia stepped out first and was forced forward by the crowd behind her. Q followed closely behind, keeping close to her while Bond slipped out behind him. The young woman gripped her arm tighter, the pain becoming worse.

"This way," Bond told her, grabbing her right hand and leading the way.

He lead the way out of the station and up to street level. The three reached a sidewalk, noticing a few MI6 employees not far huddled together awaiting instructions. The sleeve of Amelia's white blouse caught Q's eye when she pulled out of 007's grip.

"Your hurt," he stated, using his free hand to pry her hand off her arm.

"It's nothing. Just a flesh wound," She grinned.

"Let me see," Bond insisted as he pushed the younger man out of the way.

"It's nothing," Amelia winced.

As Q moved to her left, his hand grabbed hers. She squeezed his hand as the Agent poked and prodded the wound. While Bond inspected her arm, Q's briefcase was forcefully taken out of his hand and him shoved to the ground.

"Bond!" He shouted.

The agent snapped his head towards the man on the ground and took off in the direction of the thief. Q pushed himself off the ground and pulled Amelia away from the tube station entrance. He held her close to him, hidden in the entrance to an alley.

"How bad is your arm?" Q asked her, watching the people walking by in case he spotted Bond.

"It hurts. He says the bullet is still in there," Amelia explained as she placed her head against his shoulder.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" He questioned.

"I didn't think it was important at the time," she admitted.

"Your health is always important," Q told her, gently squeezing her uninjured arm.

The two were silent as they stood still, waiting for 007's return. Twenty minutes later the agent returned with the briefcase in hand and sporting a few minor injuries.

"Let's go," he barked at the two.

Q and Amelia followed behind him, Q's arm placed firmly around her waist.

* * *

**AN:** thank you all for the wonderful reviews! The attention that this story has received inspired me to write. I will try to update sometime this week, but my procrastination has caused quite a bit of school work to be backed up.


	4. Chapter 4

"Where are we?" Amelia winced.

"This was M's old home. They haven't cleared out her belongings yet," Bond explained, closing the door behind them.

Amelia gingerly sat on the couch, afraid that she might stain it with blood while Q took to the dinning room table. The young man emptied out the briefcase onto the table and started to assemble the items. With his laptop set up and numerous hard drives connected, he set to work. The room was silent with the soft clicking of Q's fingers at works. Bond had appeared moments later from the hallway, watching the young man at work.

"In a few minutes I'll have data of our hacker and who they are," Q informed the agent.

"Good. Amelia, if you'll follow me," Bond beckoned, leading the girl away from the room.

"This won't hurt too badly will it?" She timidly asked the man.

"It will actually. Sorry," he informed, motioning for the young woman to take a seat.

In front of her, Bond had set up a makeshift surgery with items throughout the house.

"I'll need your shirt off to properly remove the bullet. And you will want to bite down on this," Bond told her, handing a plastic spatula to her.

Amelia uncomfortably unbuttoned her white blouse and slipped it off her shoulders. Placing it on a chair next to her, she moved her long hair towards her uninjured arm. Her hands started to shake as she picked the spatula back up.

"Ready?" The Agent asked.

She nodded and bit down on the cooking utensil. He slipped the tip of a slender knife into her wound. The spatula dropped from her mouth as a scream erupted from her lips. Ignoring her, Bond worked quickly to remove the bullet. A loud crash from the next room was barely audible over the young woman, Q appearing quickly after.

"Is she okay?" Q questioned, worry etched on his face.

"Field surgery isn't painless," Bond answered, working quickly.

He had exchanged the knife for a pair of tweezers, carefully pulling the bullet out from her arm. Amelia's left hand spasmed in pain as she attempted to pick the spatula up. The bullet was successfully pulled out of her arm and dropped onto a bundled up dish towel.

"What have you discovered?" The agent asked, not removing his eyes from her arm.

"Alexander Lewis, from accounting, is a sleeper agent. He is from a syndicate in Rome run by a man called Krushnev. I hacked into their files and found his name on a list of sleeper agents. I've sent the list to M already," Q explained, recalling everything he found.

Bond was quiet as he switched to a new set of tools, a needle and thread. Watching from the corner of her eye, Amelia began to tremble at the sight. She knew he had to close her wound, but she also knew this would mean more pain. Q stood awkwardly by the doorway, watching 007 stitch up the injured woman. Unable to continue watching, he padded back to his laptop to check if his program had finished running.

"Be careful with your arm. I'll check on it later," Bond informed his patient as he finished sewing her arm.

"I'll try," Amelia whispered, barely able to speak.

As he left the room Amelia began to move. Slowly she slipped her blouse back on, careful not to do anything to put stress on her arm. She faced the doorway and carefully started to button her blouse, until she heard a forced cough from in front of her.

"I'm sorry, I should have let you know I was here," Q nervously admitted as his eyes were focusing intently on the ground.

"It's alright. No harm, no foul," Amelia smiled.

The young woman's hands dropped to her side causing her to wince.

"Perhaps it might be best if you just rest for a bit," he suggested, noticing her pain.

"I suppose you're right," she nodded and trudged to back to couch she had been on before.

"Bond said that he was heading out to find Alexander," Q informed her, joining her on the couch.

"Oh,"Amelia mumbled.

After sitting in silence for a few minutes, Q decided to talk first.

"Amelia, I'm sorry I accused your friend George of being the saboteur. Please understand though, he was in a prime position," He apologized, staring at his hands.

Her silence caused him to worry and to look over at the young woman. Amelia had fainted and was collapsed against the side of the couch. Slightly panicking, Q moved towards her to make sure she still had a pulse. He awkwardly extended his hand toward her, pressing two fingers against her neck in search of her carotid pulse. With a sigh of relief he let his fingers linger and brush against her cheek. His hand softly tugged her glasses off her face and laid them gently on the small table before them. Q stood up, running a hand through his hair, and padded back towards his technological set-up.

* * *

"Q, pack your things up. We need to get out of here," Agent 007 ordered, rushing in through the front door.

Q's head shot up at the sound sound. He had fallen asleep in front of his laptop, his glasses hastily lying on the edge of the table. Amelia slowly began to stir and stretch. Confusion struck her as her vision was blurry. Her arms reached out towards the table nearest her, feeling every object in hopes of finding her spectacles. With her frames securely back in their rightful place, Amelia stood up. Bond had watched her, concerned for her well being. She forced herself forward, her feet moving moving automatically.

"Where are we going?" Amelia asked as Q joined them.

"You are no longer safe here. From what Alexander told me they want Q's laptop or Q himself," Bond explained, ushering the two out the door and into the night.

Bond and Q quickly took off down the street leaving Amelia trailing behind. Bond waited impatiently for her to catch up while Q dashed back to helped her along. Amelia and Q followed the agent as he led them through the city. The cold air started to slow them down. Amelia, wearing only one layer, started to shiver and forced herself to continue walking.

"How much further?" Q called out, his arm around the young woman.

"We're close," Bond replied.

"I don't think she should be outside much longer," Q fretted.

His tone alerted the agent. Bond looked back at the woman, watching her fight to stay conscious. They kept moving along with Bond leading the way. After ten more minutes of briskly trudging through the crowded London streets, the agent stopped in front of a posh building. He ushered the two into the lobby and towards the lifts. The three made there way into a lift. Once inside Bond selected the floor while Q paid attention to the woman now clinging to him.

"Where are we going?" Q inquired, holding the girl more tightly.

"I have a friend who lives here. She owes me a favor," the agent smirked

"Of course," Q muttered to himself.

The lift slowed to a stop, a soft ding announcing their arrival. Agent 007 quickly walked down the hallway and stopped in front of a generic looking brown door. His hand roughly rapped upon it. By this time Q managed to help Amelia down the hall and join up with the agent. The door opened and there stood a rather short, petite, ginger woman.

"James!" The new woman announced, pulling him into her.

"Veronica," Bond replied, grinning.

"And who are your friends?" Veronica questioned, moving to view them better.

"This is Amelia and Q," James introduced.

The three moved into the flat, Veronica closing the door behind them. She turned and eyed her visitors, more specifically Amelia. Q was now fully supporting Amelia as her consciousness was slipping away.

"What's wrong with her?" Veronica curiously inquired.

"She's healing from a bullet wound. She just needs a good night's rest and she should be fine," Bond assured his friend.

"Let me show you to the guest room," his friend urged.

Bond scooped up the unconscious woman and followed Veronica down the hall. Q trailed behind, yawning and stumbling over his own feet. James had laid the young woman on the queen size bed and placed her glasses on the nightstand.

"So you two are in here and then James and I will be in my room," Veronica informed Q as he entered the room.

"Veronica, they're coworkers. They aren't together," James told his friend.

"You could always kip on the couch," She offered.

"We could share the bed, don't worry," Q yawned, trudging toward the unoccupied side of the bed.

"We'll be just down the hall then," Veronica smiled.

James and Veronica padded out of the room, turning off the lights and quietly shutting the door behind them. Q took off his cardigan and slipped off his shoes before he collapsed on the bed. Quickly he dropped his own glasses onto the nightstand closest to him before sleep over took him.

* * *

**AN:** thank you all for the reviews, follows and just in general all of the attention. I do read all of the reviews and keep them in mind when writing. Thank You Thank You Thank You! I hope you enjoyed!


	5. Chapter 5

Amelia pried her eyes open, her shoulder throbbing. She routinely groped the night stand next to her in search of her glasses. After placing them in their rightful position, Amelia swung her legs over the side of the bed. The smell of bangers wafted through the flat, bringing the young woman out of her stupor. Confusion was starting to sink. She had no idea where she was, where Q or Bond was, or if there was anyone else there. Quickly she tried to remember what happened last night. Agent 007 stitched her up, she passed out on the couch at M's old home, and then he returned for them once it was dark out. From then onwards, everything was fuzzy.

The young woman forced herself up and out of bed, her stomach begging her to locate the source of the scent. Cautiously, Amelia peeked her head out of the room and delicately closed the door as she left. Her fingers brushed against the regal molding of the corridor, freezing as she heard a woman's voice.

"Amelia?" A woman's voice questioned.

"Yes?" Amelia shakily replied, frozen in place.

"You probably don't remember me. I'm Veronica. James brought you and Q here late last night, you were practically zonked when we met," the mysterious woman informed.

Amelia turned around and faced the unknown woman. She was a bit shorter than herself with red hair and a mischievous grin.

"Follow me, I'll give you a new top to wear. This way you won't have to walk around London later with a white blouse with a bullet hole and blood stains," Veronica smirked.

"Thank you," Amelia replied softly.

* * *

"So tell me Bond, where exactly are we going after this?" Q inquired, softly typing away on his laptop.

"Back to MI6's headquarters. They performed a sweep yesterday evening and spent all night securing it," The agent explained.

"Boys," Veronica grinned, sauntering into the room.

"Good morning," Amelia greeted as she followed behind the woman.

"I've already checked her arm James. It's clean and looks well," the petite woman announced.

"Good," He quipped, taking a sip out of his mug.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Q hesitantly asked, peering up from the screen in front of him.

"Not bad. My arm still hurts, but it's more of a dull, achy pain," Amelia answered.

Veronica left the room, mumbling something about laundry, while Bond's mobile started to ring.

"Hello? Tanner, what do you have for me?" Bond spoke into the phone, walking off into the hallway.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Q stammered.

"So am I. So why exactly was MI6 attacked and where are we off to next?" The young woman asked, starting in on the plate of food before her.

"Where heading back to MI6's old home. It should be safe by now," Q informed her.

"But why did they want to steal your briefcase yesterday, Bond said something about they, either wanting your or the briefcase," Amelia pressed, taking a bit of toast.

"It's from his time before MI6. It seems someone admires our young Quartermaster's skills," Bond explained as he entered the room.

"What do you mean by that?" The young man questioned.

"Tanner has informed me that Krushnev, leader of the Testa Di Serpente syndicate from Rome. It appears what he has planned needs Q's skills. Seems he's been a fan your work since your University days it seems," the agent answered.

Amelia had forgotten the plate in front of her, concern for the man next her filled her thoughts. Q though, began to worry.

"When are we leaving?" Q asked, fiddling with a pen.

"It'd be best if we left as soon as possible," Bond replied.

The agent left the room, leaving Q and Amelia alone in the kitchen. Q set to work taking down and packing up his technical set up. His hands were working automatically, performing an old routine. Amelia though, stared blankly at the plate of forgotten food. Her mind running, racing with what she had just heard.

"Are you alright?" Q questioned, standing next to her with his hand on her left shoulder.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just trying to take everything all in," Amelia confessed.

"You're not fine. This is a lot to take in and it is a serious matter. When we get back to MI6 life will carry on like it had before, just as will we," he told her in an attempt to comfort her.

"Aren't you worried at all? An Italian crime syndicate is after you. They want you for who knows what! Life will not carry on like it had for you. You are going to have to be more careful," Amelia lectured, starting to snap.

She stood up out of her chair and stalked out of the room, desperate for a way to vent without Q witnessing. Amelia found herself back in the room she woke up in. Sitting the door behind her, she made her way towards the window. Soft rapping could be heard from the door, but Amelia just ignored the sound. She softly started to run her right arm, her fingers gently brushing against her stitches.

"You should be careful. You don't want those to come undone," Q's voice warned her from behind.

"I am being careful," she muttered, her gaze not faltering from the view outside the window.

"Amelia, I want to apologize for accusing your friend, George, for being in cohorts with Alexander. And I am going to be careful. If MI6 knows this man is after me then they will make sure I'm safe. I highly doubt they will want to lose their new Quartermaster," Q told her, joining her at the window.

"Let's hope they keep you safe," She whispered.

As Q moved to face the young woman next to him, the window shattered and a bullet narrowly missed him. He dropped to the floor and pulled the woman down with him. Q ushered her into the corner and kept his body in front of hers, his shielding hers.

"Bond!" Q yelled, alerting the agent.

Agent 007 raced through the flat towards the room. Entering the room, he stealthily advanced to the window, gun in hand. Peering from the side of the shattered window, Bond located the shooter and started firing his weapon. The sound of the gun going off in the room caused Amelia to shake, the fear of being shot again and the pain it could cause coursed through her nerves.

"Call Tanner. Tell him to send a car. They should have a GPS lock on your phone," The agent called out.

Q frantically searched his pockets for his mobile. Once he located it, he awkwardly dug it out of his pocket and found the number he needed.

"Q?" Tanners voice questioned.

"We're under fire and require a car," Q replied, his free hand grabbing one of Amelia's shaking hands.

"I'm have a car and back up sent to your location. Be ready," Tanner informed Q before he hung up.

"Back up and a car is on their way," Q called over to Bond.

"I didn't ask for back up!" The agent exclaimed as he started to fire again.

"I didn't request it, Tanner sent it on his own accord," The young man argued.

"Fine, you two get down to the lobby without being seen. I'll stay here and keep the shooter occupied," Bond instructed, ejecting the magazine from his firearm and shoved a new one in from his pocket.

Q and Amelia crawled out of the room. Quickly grabbing the briefcase, the two fled the flat and down the hallway. Amelia jabbed the down button for the lift a dozen times in hopes it would arrive faster. A impatient Q grabbed her hand and raced to the stairs, flinging the door open. As the two reached the ground floor, the door in front of them was kicked upon. Q and Amelia scuttled underneath the stairs, hiding from the new occupants of the stairwell. Amelia was pressed up against Q since their hiding space was small and limited. She could feel his labored breath against her ear and could feel has rapid heart beat.

"Q," Amelia panted as she tried to catch her breath.

"Yes Amelia," he muttered, looking down at her.

"We should go. I think they're far enough away for us to leave," she stammered.

"Right, you're right. Let's go," Q replied.

Still holding Amelia's hand, he silently opened the metal door allowing the two to escape the stairwell. They purposefully strode through the lobby and outside to the car waiting outside for them. Once the two were in the car it took off. Racing through the city, the black MI6 town car wove through the streets. Upon finishing the labyrinth of London, the car pulled into the underground garage of MI6. A small troop of security escorted the two into the safety of the building. Amelia had the chance, once back inside, to flee to the safety of her old desk, to the familiarity of what once was. Q was escorted to M's office to debrief on the events that took place while Eve Moneypenny visited Amelia to debrief her in a safe, comfortable environment.

* * *

**AN: **Thank You all for the wonderful reviews and Thank You to everyone who has favorited and/or followed theirs story. I seem to have a bit of an idea of where I'm actually going with this story. I might change the rating to M for violence. There may or may not be more violence later on and I'm not quite sure how violent it will be. (I will try to keep it within reason)

For those who have already read this chapter, I have edited it. next time I will do a better job at checking my work.


	6. Chapter 6

Amelia had been sitting at her desk the whole day, trying to act as if the last twenty fours hours hadn't happened. She had yet seen George yet, but then again many people had yet to return. Many MI6 employees were spending vacation time with their families, enjoying time with them before they returned to their careers in espionage. Those had returned were the bare minimum needed to run the defence branch. The hallways of the building were deserted, the offices containing barely a handful of employees, many of which were still shaken up from yesterday's events. The employees who had returned knew it was their duty, for Queen and country, to do their job.

Q was in and out of Q branch. He was often seen mumbling something to himself while scribbling away on a tablet. Trailing behind the young man would be two security guards, as a precaution. As Q settled into his desk for the fifth time that day he glanced at the woman who'd been by his side the past twenty four hours. She had barely moved, only to leave her desk to retrieve papers from the printer. He could tell she was still in shock from yesterday's events.

As five o'clock rolled around, Amelia numbly rose up from her desk, collecting her purse and coat; thankful for the few who collected personal belongings from the rubble. Q noticed this and stalked across the room to stop her briefly.

"Amelia, wait," the young man called out.

"Yes?" Amelia quietly responded, turning to face him.

"Are you going to be fine?" He asked her, concern laced with each word.

"No, but with time I will be," she grimaced.

"Please call me if you need anything or if you need someone to talk to," Q offered.

Amelia simply nodded and slipped her coat on, wincing when it came to moving her right arm in place. Q took notice of this and was about to confront her about it, but instead pulled her into him; holding her tightly.

"I'm so sorry you were dragged into this," he whispered.

Amelia wrapped her left arm around his torso while she buried her face in his neck. He could physically feel her loosen up. She pulled away from, fighting back tears that she knew would fall.

"I'm going to take a few days off. I think it would be for the best," she informed him, her voice wavering.

"I understand," he nodded.

The young woman collected her purse and slowly navigated her way out of the building.

* * *

"Bond, you'll be going to Rome. While you are there you bring in Krushnev alive. Do you understand? I know you've had some difficulties in the past with that order, but we need to question him," M explained.

"I'll try my best," the agent smirked.

Bond rose from his chair, accepting the envelop from his superior. The agent left the room, stopping momentarily in front of a desk stationed outside.

"Bond, here is your passport and your plane ticket. I believe Q might have a new toy for to play with," the secretary informed him.

"Thank you Ms. Moneypenny," he smirked, slipping the documents into the pocket inside his coat.

The agent strode the hallways of MI6 until he stopped outside of Q Branch. Looking in through the glass doors he was unable to find the man he was searching for. Bond made his way to the testing facility, hoping the man would be there and his search would be over. Pulling the door open to check, a smile formed on his face; success.

"There you are Bond," the young man announced from his stool.

"What do you have for me this time," Bond smirked as he joined Q at a table covered in technology.

* * *

Amelia had fought her way thought the rush hour traffic on the tube, dragging herself home. Once up the stairs and into her flat, she dropped her purse on her kitchen table and draped her coat over the back of a chair. She moved automatically, setting the kettle on to boil and pulling out a mug and an Earl Grey tea bag. Her body fell into the closest chair, her head falling into her hands. The tears fell freely and her body started to shake. Everything that had happened to her since yesterday, the stress, the fear, the anxiety, just spilled out. Only the shrill scream of the kettle broke her from her stupor. With her tea in hand, she stalked towards the couch, plopping down for a night of crap telly.

The young woman had fallen asleep half way through an old episode of Nevermind The Buzzcocks, her third cup of tea now cold and forgotten. Her mobile sprung to life, a soft ringing sounding out from her purse in the kitchen. After a minute, the mobile stopped. A few minutes later the mobile sprung to life again. This cycle happened for the next hour, no messages or texts, just ringing. Finally the mobile had stopped its musical tirade and Amelia was left with only the low chatter of the telly.

Around five am, Amelia woke up, her body acting as it would any other weekday. With a groan, she stood up, stretching her arms. She winced as she extended her right arm too far and slowly moved it back in towards her body. Her hand grasped her cup of old tea, taking it into the kitchen and leaving it in the sink to clean later. Amelia thought it'd be best if she showered, hoping that having the filth scrubbed off of her would help her move past the experiences she encountered.

With the shower running and Holst's Planet Suites playing loudly, her mobile once again started to ring. The tune of the electric device was being drowned out by the melody surrounding her. The little thing berated the kitchen once again with call after call, stopping after an hour.

When Amelia had left her bathroom, she had already dried and curled her hair. Padding across her flat in a faded Beatles shirt and black yoga pants, she retrieved her mobile only to find the battery in it almost. Screen on it had a warning covering it, stating that the battery battery was almost dead and needed to be charged. The young woman grabbed a book from her bookshelf and crawled on top of her bed. Her hand reached in between the space her bed and pulled her charging cable up to her, plugging her mobile in. Placing the phone on her nightstand, the young woman opened the book in her hands.

Amelia made it through Scene two of Act one of _The Tempest_ before her phone sprang to life once more. Comfortable with the amount of time it had been charging, she pulled the cable out of the mobile and clicked accept; holding it up to her ear.

"Hello?" She asked curiously.

Nothing. The other end was silent, no noise, no sign of life.

"Hello?" Amelia repeated again, silently praying a voice would answer.

Amelia frantically hung up, the screen on the device now informing her that she has 97 missed calls, all from the same number that had just called her. Her mind raced through all the possibilities of what this could be. She didn't want to jump to conclusions, really she didn't want her day spoiled. The young woman grabbed her book and mobile charger and threw it into her purse. Quickly she slipped on socks, a pair of worn chucks, and a green jumper to complete the ensemble. Purse in hand, Amelia fled from her flat.

Amelia navigated quickly through the streets, keeping her eyes out for anyone who was following her. The small kernel of paranoia that laid inside if her festered into something larger. Her mobile was now a part of her hand, she gripped it ever so tightly. Quickly she began to think of someplace safe she might go. MI6 flashed in her mind, Q following after.

She dug into her purse for her ID, swiping it along the scanner for entrance past the lobby. A few people looked at her oddly, someone in such casual clothing running around in MI6. Amelia walked her worn route to Q Branch in hopes of finding the man she was looking for. Her hand wrapped around the door handle, pulling it open while her eyes scanned the room for a familiar mop of brown hair.

"Amelia, what are you doing here? I thought you were taking a few days off," Q asked in shock at seeing the young woman approach him.

"I've had ninety eight phone calls from the same number. Ninety Eight! The last time they called, I answered and the line was silent. I started to panic and left my flat, ending up here. I thought this might be the safest place for me," Amelia explained, handing him her phone.

"Well, you're here now," he smiled.

Q took the phone from her, giving her hand a light squeeze when he noticed the tears threatening to fall. Never letting go of her hand, the young man pulled her into him. Amelia was scared and needed the comfort. All her life she had never had anything close to this amount of danger happen to her. Not even when Silva attacked MI6 two months ago was she this terrified. The young woman clung to the man holding, her feeling safe in his arms.

"Everything will be alright. I promise," Q assured, leaning back to look at her.

"How are you so sure?" Amelia replied.

"You'll just have to trust me," he whispered as he lowered his lips to hers.

Shocked by this, Amelia didn't react until his right hand moved to her cheek. Her lips finally jolted to life and pressed against his. The two broke apart when the need for air outgrew the need for each other.

"I should take a look at that number," Q stammered, pulling away.

"Right and I'll, I'll go make some tea. I'll be back," Amelia babbled.

The young woman took off down the hallway while Q sat at his desk, too stunned at what happened.

"Be brave," he repeatedly muttered to himself while his fingers glided over the keyboard.

He knew that if he was brave then Amelia would be okay. It took only a minute for all the information he needed to pop-up. The results though, scared him.

Amelia quickly bustled in the kitchenette, grabbing a mug for herself and hunting down Q's signature mug. She begun to zone out while waiting for the kettle to boil. Her thoughts dwelled on the interaction that had just passed between her and Q. The smile on her face stretched from ear to ear as her left hand touched her cheek where his had. She was brought out of her trance by the kettle, informing her the water was boiled.

Walking back into Q branch, Amelia was surprised to find Tanner conversing with Q. She hurried towards the two and placed Q's on his desk.

"Thank you," he smiled, reaching for it.

"Smith, Q has told me about the calls. Unfortunately what we've found out is quite bad," Tanner preempted.

"What did you find out?" She inquired, taking a sip of tea.

"The number is an Italian mobile and in correlation to where you live, the phone calls were made from within the same building," Q explained.

"So they know where I live," Amelia slowly realised.

"We'll have a security team escort you back to your flat later so you can pack a suitcase. You'll be staying with Q at a safe house until the threat has been neutralised," Tanner explained before he left.

"Alright," she said slowly.

"It won't be that bad," Q grinned.

* * *

AN: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter ;)


	7. Chapter 7

"Ms. Smith?" The man in the passenger's seat prodded.

"Yes?" She replied, tearing her gaze from the moving scenery.

"We've just had your flat checked. It seems its been turned upside down. I'm sorry," the man explained.

Her eyes returned to view London as the car she was in sped through the streets. As it pulled up to her building she noticed a small number of security standing about. Once the car had stopped, the door was opened for her, allowing her to quickly step out. On every flight of stairs that she climbed, a small security detail tailed her. The fear that she would be attacked was not squashed but heightened by how closely these men followed her. Upon entering her flat she stood frozen in fear. The couch cushions and pillows had been gutted, cabinets in her kitchen had been emptied and their contents shattered on the floor.

Tears started to fall as she closely inspected the damage to her home. Fearing for the worst, her feet forced herself to her bedroom. She collapsed on the floor, sobs wracking her body. Her wardrobe was trashed, the contents everywhere with some articles of clothing showing signs of fresh tips and tears. Amelia's bed was treated in the same fashion as her couch. It seemed a knife had carved a large X, the lines dragging from corner to corner. Books from her bookshelf were strewn about on the floor, a good deal of them had pages ripped out of them.

The young woman forced herself up and towards her closet. She had hoped her suitcase was still in tact, needing something to go her way. Amelia heaved the bulky object onto her dissected bed and started the process of packing. It took her no time to pack the suitcase. The only clothes she packed were the few that had survived the attack. Along with her toiletries, her case held everything she owned. What items she wasn't bringing with her had been trashed, ripped, or smashed. Even her alarm clock and the lamp on her nightstand had received a beating leaving it out of commission.

"Ms. Smith, it's time we leave," the man from the car informed her.

"Alright," she sniffed, taking one last look at the damage.

One of the men protecting her took her suitcase from her, allowing her to travel down the flight of stairs with ease. Amelia crawled into the backseat of the car she was previously in and shut the door behind her. After hearing the sound of the boot shut, the car took off through the streets of London. She clutched her purse during the whole ride, trying to hold onto a piece of her life wasn't ravaged. She fought tears that were threatening to young woman was becoming frustrated with the lack of control she had over her emotions. All she felt like doing lately was crying, and she hated it. The stress of having her life thrown upside down had sent her into a fragile state.

The black town car pulled up in front of its destination. Quickly the man in the passenger's seat ushered her out of the vehicle and up the stoop into the home. Her suitcase was taken up a flight of stairs in the home and disappeared from her sight. When she heard a cough come from a nearby doorway Amelia nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Eve!" Amelia shouted, throwing her arms around her friend.

"I thought I'd drop by after work, see if you needed anything," Eve offered.

"I think I'll be fine for tonight thanks," Amelia replied.

"Here's the number for the security team designated for this safe house. If you need them just give them a ring," Eve informed Amelia, handing her a slip of paper.

"Thanks," the young woman responded.

"You'll only be alone for another hour or two. Q mentioned that he'd be late at work," her friend winked.

"Eve," Amelia warned, a smile slowly creeping on her face.

"You should be more careful about where you and Q snog," Eve grinned.

"Moneypenny," Amelia said sternly.

"Be safe," Eve laughed, pulling her friend into a hug.

"I'll try," Amelia smiled.

Eve pulled away and left her friend standing in the entryway of the old home. Amelia wandered up the stairs, peeking into rooms. The first room she found was the bathroom, the next was a bedroom. Peeking inside, Amelia noticed men's shoes, a messy bed, and various cables strewn about the room. Carefully closing the door, she ventured further down the hallway, stopping at another door. Pushing the door open, she found her suitcase sitting at the foot of her bed. Within minutes she had left her room and entered the bathroom. The young woman had lost track of the time as she stood under the cascading water. Finally feeling better, she stepped out from the shower and wrapped a towel tightly around herself; collecting her discarded clothing before leaving.

"Amelia," Q stuttered, almost running into her as she left the bathroom.

"Q!" She exclaimed, her cheeks growing crimson as she realised she was in just a towel.

Amelia gripped the towel tightly, while Q kept his eyes glued to the floor. The two stood awkwardly in the hallway, both desperately trying to find a way out of their awkward situation.

"Uh," the young man stammered.

He knew his way around technology, but when it came to his emotions he was clueless. With his hands in front of him, he desperately tried to form a coherent sentence.

"I'm going to go get dressed then," Amelia awkwardly announced.

She scampered down the hallway, her hand carefully clenching onto her towel. Q on the other hand, made towards the kitchen in need of a hot cup of tea to settle his nerves. He closed his eyes as he waited for the kettle to boil, an image of Amelia in a towel forming in front of him. Desperately he tried to think of something else, but his mind would not stray. As if in a trance, he moved his hand to caress her arm only to have his hand actually find a solid object in front him.

"Are you okay?" Amelia asked as his eyes sprang open in shock.

"I'm just tired. Long day at work and then the stress of having someone after me. I think I'm starting to crack," he sighed.

"I think we should start a club," she giggled, earning a smile from the man before her.

"I think that club exists. A very exclusive group of people within MI6 are the only members," he joked.

The two laughed until the shrill siren of the kettle erupted. Amelia jumped at the sudden out burst, looking around frantically for the source of the sound. Q quickly moved the kettle to a back burner and drew the young woman into him, wrapping his arms firmly around her body.

"It as just the kettle," he told her as he stroked her hair.

Amelia clung to him, her face buried in the crook of his neck. She fought the tears that threatened to fall, hoping this time she'd be victorious.

"You're right. Of course you're right. I'm just a bit jumpy. After seeing my apartment I, I guess I'm just a bit unnerved," Amelia babbled.

"You'll be fine. I'm here," he reassured her, pressing his lips to her forehead.

* * *

AN: I apologise for such a short chapter. I felt the need to update and bring you another chapter, so . . . Ta Da! Writers block has been keeping me at bay, but I hope to defeat it and write a proper chapter for you all real soon! Anyways, thank you all for the wonderful reviews. And thank you M for taking time out of your busy schedule to read and review my story.


	8. Chapter 8

The house shook as thunder roared overhead. Amelia's eye fluttered open as a flash of lightning illuminated the room. Her eyes strained and squinted at the clock in her night stand; the soft red dim informed her that is was barely three am. Sighing, Amelia closed her eyes and hoped sleep would return. Fifteen minutes later her feet swung over the side of her bed, off to explore her new residence. Her feet softly padded down the hallway and descended down the creaky stair case. The second step down creaked as Amelia carefully shifted her weight onto the next step. She quickly learned how every few steps would moan or groan, the storm raging outside muffling her movements.

Amelia crept to the door of the small cupboard under the stairs. Her curiosity got the beer of her as her nimble fingers twisted the door nob, pulling the door open. From her childhood memories, the young woman reached out for the pull chord to illuminate the small cupboard. Her eyes darted around, taking in what was stored inside. Her hand reached out towards a stack of old magazines, pulling them towards her. A medium sized tin was knocked on to the floor beside her. The dim light shinning from the closet allowed Amelia to inspect the contents.

A grin formed on her face as she held a few small tiles in her hand, each with a letter on them. She slipped two tiles into her pocket of her dressing gown and swiftly placed the rest back into the tin. As her fingers grasped the last remaining tiles, her fingers found a small flash drive. Pushing her glasses up he bridge of her nose, Amelia held the small device in her palm, inspecting it for any markings. The sound of the creaking stair alerted Amelia that she wasn't the only one awake anymore. She hastily threw the last of the tiles into the Scrabble tin and carefully placed it atop the magazines, taking a few out first.

"What are you doing up?" Q yawned, his voice causing her to snap her head in his direction.

"I couldn't sleep and well, my curiosity got the better of me," she replied sheepishly.

"What did you find there?" He inquired, kneeling next to her.

"I found some old magazines I thought I'd read," Amelia replied nervously.

"Oh, MAD! I remember reading these when I was a child," Q absentmindedly murmured, pulling the top magazine into his hands.

Q sat against the wall next to the open closet, Amelia sitting next to him with her shoulder pressed against his. She placed the stack in her hands on the floor next to her and leaned into Q as he hazily flipped the periodical open in his hands. The storm outside had grown worse, if that was even possible. The rain fell side ways into the back of the house, the winds picking up speed

"Q?" Amelia asked, once again her.

"Hmm," he mumbled.

"How awake are you?" She smiled, looking up at him.

"Good question," Q answered, his eyes glued to the magazine in his hand.

Amelia giggled at his reply and gazed at the magazine in his hands.

* * *

The pounding at the front door grew louder and more persistent. From outside, the door was unlocked and a man in a black suit walked in, quickly shutting the door to keep the unruly weather out. He looked down and found the man he was looking for. The young man was holding a young woman in his arms, both sound asleep.

"Sir," he voiced.

"Hmm, what?" Q woke, his eyes slowly opening and his hands grasping the form in his arms.

"Sir, I'm here to escort you to MI6," the man informed him.

"Right yes. What time is it?" The young man yawned.

"It's seven twenty-three sir," he replied, checking his watch.

"What!?" Q exclaimed.

Q shook the young woman awake, frantically attempting to wake her up.

"What's going on?" Amelia questioned.

"Amy, it's time to get up," Q told her, standing up.

"I'm still on holiday," she mumbled.

"Well, you should at least be asleep in your bed," he retorted as he pulled her to her feet.

"Fine," she agreed.

"I'll be back in ten minutes," Q informed the man while he ushered the young woman up the stairs.

Q guided Amelia up the stairs, his arm around her waist to catch her as she tripped up the steps. As their feet made contact with the second floor, Q broke off from her and tore into his room to change. Amelia hazily navigated the hallway back to her room, confused and clinging to the wall for guidance. Behind her, Q ran from his bedroom and into the bathroom, a fresh white shirt, a grey sweater, and a tie now adorned his torso and grey trousers snugly on his lower half. He leaned out of the doorway moments later, his tooth brush in his mouth as he watched the young woman struggle. Q disappeared back into the room and then reappeared without his toothbrush.

"Come along Amy," he smiled, helping her toward her destination.

"Did you just call me Amy again?" The young woman hazily questioned.

"Yes, yes I did," he responded, his attention aimed at helping her to her room.

"But you've always called me Amelia, haven't you?" She replied, confusion rattling her exhausted mind.

"Here's your bed. I'll be back earlier tonight. Please don't leave unless you have someone from MI6 with you," Q begged as he helped Amelia into her bed.

"Alright," Amelia yawned.

"Sleep well Amelia," he whispered.

Q carefully plucked her glasses from her face, gently setting them in front of the digital clock on her nightstand. He looked back at the young woman's sleeping frame, vulnerable to the conscious world. The young man pressed his lips to her forehead before he rushed out of her room.

* * *

"Now, Mister Bond, I am tired of these games you play," an Italian voice called out.

"I thought you liked playing games?" Agent 007 quipped.

The British agent had his forearms and calves tied to a chair. A dim bulb barely lit up the captive as he struggled to break his bonds.

"My wife enjoyed your games, but now; now my wife is no more. I thought she might enjoy one of my own games. Unfortunately for her she lost," the man gloated.

"You mean you killed her," Bond stated.

"She was unfaithful," the grisly Italian announced.

"You didn't have to kill her," 007 roared.

"Oh, but I did," he grinned, leaning in toward his prisoner.

The agent had worked his legs free of their bonds, allowing him to kick his captor in the chest. The Italian man flew backwards and landed heavily against the ground. Bond worked fervently to free at least one of his wrists. A man entered the room wielding a long knife. He swung it towards the Brit in hopes of making contact with his flesh. The attacker only succeeded in freeing one of the agents arms. Bond kicked his attacker with as much force as possible. The two struggled on the floor for the knife, the chair hindering the agent. Agent 007 had backed away from the henchman and forced the chair to pieces, leaving the broken chair of the arm attached to henchman came at Bond again, but now Bond was able to use the attached chair arm as a shield.

The captor scrambled out of the room and up the flight of stairs leading to ground level. He was then ushered into a black SUV before it barreled through the side streets of Rome. The vehicle came to a stop on the tarmac on the outskirts of the Fiumicino Airport. It parked close to a small private G5 plane. The captor strode out of the SUV and up the small set of steps, the captain waiting for him at the top.

"Signor Serpico, we are ready for take off," the captain informed his boss.

"Buono. Once my men are on board take off," Serpico instructed.

"Sissignore," the captain acknowledged before he returned to the cockpit.

The captain sat down in his chair and gave a look to his second in command. Their hands worked their clock work routine as they heard the cabin door shut. The captain released the breaks and taxid the plane along a side road.

"Air Traffic Control this is Gulf Echo Zulu Niner Charlie requesting permission for runway twenty one," the captain requested into his headset.

"Gulf Echo Zulu Niner Charlie this is Air Traffic Control, permission granted," a voice replied through his headset.

The plane drove to the end of the runway and turned into it. As it started to pick up speed it started to jump a little. As it reached the end of the runway, the plane angled upward and started to ascend into the sky.

"Gentlemen, we should arrive at London Heathrow airport in approximately two hours and forty minutes. Thank you and enjoy your flight," the captain of the plane announced through the intercom system.

* * *

Agent 007 had jolted up the flight of steps from the room he was previously held captor of. He quickly tidied up his appearance by buttoning up his shirt and ranting his hand through his hair. The sun had momentarily blinded him, forcing his hand up to shield his eyes. Bond left the building and moved quickly among the streets, pick pocketing an oblivious tourist for their phone.

"Bond, please tell me you haven't killed him," M questioned through the device.

"No, he's actually on his way to London right now," the agent replied, dodging oncoming pedestrians.

"I assume you are escorting him to MI6 then?" His superior inquired.

"No, he is escorting himself. I'm on his trail," Bond replied.

"We'll you better bloody hurry," M barked into the phone before he hung up.

* * *

**AN:** thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. More to come soon, I promise some Q and Amelia in the next chapter or two ;)


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